Collating strip for plug and plug installation method

Abstract

A collating strip for holding plugs prior to insertion of the plugs into a hole such as a screw hole or nail hole after the screw or nail has been driven. The collating strip comprises an elongated strip having a plurality of perforations spaced along its length; and a plug positioned in each of the perforations, each plug having an insertion end and an external end, the insertion ends projecting from said strip. The strips may be in sheet form of a plurality of strips side by side with an individual strip being separable from the remaining strips of the sheet.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A collated strip of plugs for insertion into a hole in a surface, comprising:
 a. an elongate strip having a plurality of perforations spaced along its longitudinal length; and 
 b. a first plug positioned in one of said perforations, the first plug having an insertion end and an external end, 
 c. a second plug positioned in another one of said perforations, the second plug having an insertion end and an external end, wherein 
 the external end of each of the first and second plugs has a respective outer surface with a grain configuration, and the first and second plugs are positioned such that the first and second plugs have substantially the same orientation of their grain configuration relative to one another while positioned in their respective perforations. 
 
     
     
       2. The collated strip of  claim 1  wherein said strip has opposite longitudinally extending side edges having sets of opposed notches. 
     
     
       3. The collated strip of  claim 1  wherein the first and second plugs are held in their respective perforations by frictional engagement with side edges of the perforation. 
     
     
       4. The collated strip of  claim 1  wherein the strip defines an upper surface and opposite lower surface and the outer surface of the external end of each of the first and second plugs is offset outwardly from the upper surface of said strip. 
     
     
       5. The collated strip of  claim 1  wherein said perforations are circular. 
     
     
       6. The collated strip of  claim 1  wherein said perforations are longitudinally spaced between about 0.2 inch and 2.0 inches. 
     
     
       7. The collated strip of  claim 1  wherein said elongated strip is a flexible plastic. 
     
     
       8. The collated strip of  claim 1 , wherein the insertion end of each plug projects from the strip. 
     
     
       9. The collated strip of  claim 1 , comprising a relief opening between successive perforations in the strip. 
     
     
       10. The collated strip of  claim 1 , wherein the insertion end defines a substantially circular surface with a diameter D 1  and the external end defines a substantially circular surface with a diameter D 2  that is greater than D 1 . 
     
     
       11. A sheet of collated strips of plugs for insertion into a hole in a surface, comprising:
 a. a sheet having multiple spaced rows of longitudinally spaced perforations, 
 b. a first plug positioned in one of said perforations in a first row and a second plug positioned in another of said perforations in the first row, each of the first and second plugs having a respective insertion end and a respective external end, 
 wherein said first row is separable from the sheet to provide a single strip having one longitudinal row of spaced perforations; 
 wherein the external end of the first plug has an outer surface with a grain configuration and the external end of the second plug has an outer surface with a grain configuration, and the first and second plugs are arranged such that each plug has substantially the same orientation of its grain configuration relative to said strip. 
 
     
     
       12. The sheet of  claim 11  wherein said sheet has a longitudinal extending notch extending between adjacent rows of perforations. 
     
     
       13. The sheet of  claim 11  wherein said perforations in one row are longitudinally spaced such that they are longitudinally between perforations in an adjacent row. 
     
     
       14. The sheet of  claim 12  wherein each row has sets of opposed notches positioned along an axis on either side of said perforations. 
     
     
       15. The sheet of  claim 11  wherein the first and second plugs are held in their respective perforation by frictional engagement with the edge of the perforation. 
     
     
       16. The sheet of  claim 11 , wherein each row has a plurality of plugs with each plug positioned in a respective hole. 
     
     
       17. The sheet of  claim 11 , wherein a plug is positioned in each of said perforations. 
     
     
       18. The sheet of  claim 11 , comprising a relief opening intermediate adjacent spaced apertures. 
     
     
       19. The sheet of  claim 18 , wherein a relief opening is intermediate each spaced aperture. 
     
     
       20. A method of inserting plugs into holes in a surface, comprising:
 a. providing an elongated strip having a plurality of spaced perforations and a plurality of plugs with a plug positioned in each of the spaced perforations, each of said plurality of plugs having an insertion end and an external end, each external end having an outer surface with a grain configuration, and the plurality of plugs being arranged such that each plug has substantially the same orientation of its grain configuration relative to one another while positioned in their respective perforations, 
 b. positioning said strip over said surface so that the insertion end of a first plug is aligned with a first hole, 
 c. pushing the first plug at least partially into the hole, 
 d. removing the strip from the first plug, 
 e. positioning said strip over said surface so that the insertion end of a second plug is aligned with a second hole, and 
 f. pushing the second plug at least partially into the second hole. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 20  wherein the steps of pushing the first plug and pushing the second plug into the respective first and second holes comprises pushing the first and second plugs to an installed position wherein the respective external ends are substantially flush with the surface. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , comprising pushing the plug into the installed position after removing the strip. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first and second plugs have substantially the same orientation of their grain configuration relative to the surface when pushed at least partially into the respective holes.